


Tuesday Afternoon Shift

by itendswithz



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Technology, Based on a True Story, Fluff, Gen, Paperwork, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 17:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8410396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itendswithz/pseuds/itendswithz
Summary: Mission desk duty on Tuesday afternoon after a holiday is never calm. Kakashi doesn't help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> So modern technology but still in the Naruto Universe.
> 
> (I just wanted them to have email and such. This was inspired by my friend doing something very similar to her mom, and while it is a bit cruel, it's funny af.)

Iruka exhales once, squares his shoulders and prepares to face his greatest challenge yet. His shift at the mission desk began three minutes ago and the line to return mission reports already extends out the large double doors, and if the genin holding an empty dango strip is any indication, it reached the marketplace at one point. Probably still does.

He knew today was going to be long. The Tuesday afternoon shift after a holiday is never calm; especially when all the recently graduated genin are in the midst of completing their first D-Class missions. It's a learning period - which means lots of incomplete forms and lots of angry jounin who should have an inch of patience, considering that some of _them_ still fill-out reports wrong.

He puts on his best fake smile and greets the next shinobi in line. "Good afternoon Hinata-chan. How was the mission?"

The youngest Hyuga shinobi turns a light pink from the attention but answers nonetheless. "It was a success, Iruka-sensei."

She hands over the report and Iruka scans the information quickly. A civilian hired a nin team to relocate a colony of giant killer wasps. It was definitely a stroke of genius to assign this to Shino. An Aburame on a D-Class with bugs, of course it was a success.

It isn't until he gets to the bottom that Iruka notices a couple of mistakes. Hinata forgot to include the date of mission completion and she doesn't have the team leader's signature. They're small problems that are easily fixed, but without them the report can't be accepted.

He plucks a red pen from the utensil mug hidden on one of the shelves under the counter and circles the mistakes. "Hinata-chan," Iruka says, making sure to keep his tone light. "There are a couple of mistakes. You forgot to put the date, and the team leader needs to sign off on the report. I've circled them for you to see."

Iruka's heart clenches as Hinata's face grows redder and redder until she's as bright as the setting sun. He wishes she didn't feel embarrassed or hurt at the gentle critique but all reports have to be filed correctly. Hinata bows once and moves to leave.

Before she can get far, Iruka places a hand on her left shoulder. "Once the report is done," he says, looking into her pale eyes, "You can skip the line and give it directly to me. Okay?"

Hinata nods an affirmative and disappears into the crowd. He knows that it's technically against the rule to allow Hinata to cut in front, but Iruka pushes the guilt away. Being the Hyuga heir isn't easy and Iruka knows how Hiashi's _expectations_ wear on Hinata confidence. She may have graduated, but she'll always be his student and he'll always have her best intentions in mind.

Iruka greets the next shinobi, and after a quick sweep approves it and moves on, trying to speed through the line as fast as possible. The day drags with reports either being approved or rejected and room swells with the humidity as the sun's descent hangs it just low enough to bathe everything in heat.

Iruka takes a break to look up at the line. It doesn't seem to have changed at all. Breathing out, he calls next.

"Yo." Kakashi Hatake says in greeting, still reading that filth Naruto complains about.

"Kakashi-san," Iruka says, forcing a cheery tone.

Kakashi hands over the report and simultaneously turns another page. Pushing down his temper, Iruka reads the scroll carefully. Kakashi rarely turns assignment statements into the mission room, most going directly to the Hokage, and Iruka is almost certain he hasn't noticed the myriad of changes implement after the last fiscal quarter ended.

Surprisingly, the form is perfect. A solo delivery mission that Kakashi completed today, probably while his team was training. Iruka humpfs his disapprovement at the thought; the jounin should be teaching, not assigning excise regiments.

"Problem, Iruka-sensei?"

Iruka is about to say no and approve the report just to get rid of the man when he catches a glimpse of Kakashi's personal information. The jounin listed himself as team leader and elected to put only his email on the form. Which is within regulation - nin are paranoid, suspicious bunch and only have to include one method of contact for team leaders. Most chose email because it's less revealing than a phone number or an address.

So, despite email being new, Iruka has gotten quite skilled in spotting fake email addresses. And there's no way would an elite jounin obsessed with his reputation have something like _this_ as his email. With almost a perverted glee, Iruka grabs the red stamp and nearly slams it on the form.

"Rejected." He makes sure to say it loudly and confidently, staring directly into Kakashi's gray eye as it widens then narrows. "All reports must be 100 percent accurate and free of jokes," his tone seething with anger by the time he finishes speaking.

"Next!"

A purple-haired chunin steps forward but Kakashi doesn't move. Instead, he turns on her and growls a gruff sound from the base of his throat. She stumbles back and satisfied that he won't have to move, Kakashi faces Iruka and leans forward.

"Excuse me, sensei," Kakashi says. "But what part of the report are you accusing me of forging."

Iruka feels the waves of anger pulsating in Kakashi's chakra, but he doesn't back down. Typical jounin trying to intimidate him.

"This part," Iruka says slapping the contact information section without breaking eye contact. Still maintaining eye contact, Iruka shouts next again.

Kakashi doesn't even wait for the chunin to react, just sticks an arm out, stopping any potential movement.

"I can assure you, **sensei** , that my information is correct."

Iruka doesn't even try to hide the disbelief out of his laugh. The sound loud in the quiet room as everyone stops to stare at where one of Konoha's most elite nin faces off against a relatively unknown chunin.

"You expect me to believe this is your email," he says, letting his growing irritation leak into his voice and stance.

"Yes."

"You're email is-"

He's interrupted as Kakashi moves forward, hand covering Iruka's mouth. The ANBU in the corner shifts forward slightly and Kakashi flings his hand back and up.

"So sorry," he says, tone light. Iruka doesn't believe it for a second. "I'd just prefer for my email not to be shared out loud."

Iruka clenches his jaw at the jounin. Mission reports are not public knowledge, but anyone can petition to see any report from the archives. Most don't realize that, and Iruka wonders if Kakashi knows. He must. And a report this low will require nearly no credentials to access. Still, it's valid enough of a reason for the ANBU to slid back into the shadows.

"Kakashi-san," Iruka says after a moment. "Surely you didn't choose this as your official Konoha email. The email Hiruzen-sama would use if he needed to reach you."

Kakashi breaks eye contact first, gray eye drifting to the ceiling. Iruka can't be sure, but he thinks he sees a rosy tint coloring pale cheeks hidden under his mask. "No... Sasuke did."

"And you didn't change it?"

Kakashi glances at him briefly before he starts to inspect his nailbeds. "I... I..."

"Oh sweet hokage," Iruka interrupts. He knows that look. Knows what the man won't say. He's as bad as the seven-year-olds who don't do their homework. "I'll accept the form this time."

Kakashi turns to leave but Iruka stops him. "On one condition."

That piercing gray eye flys back to his face, searing a burning glare at him. But if Iruka can look Mizuki in the face after his betrayal, then this jounin doesn't stand a chance of breaking him.

"Come to the Academy tomorrow afternoon. And bring food."

"Maa sensei," Kakashi says around a grin. "If it's a date you want-"

"In your dreams, jounin." He says grinning back, certain that Kakashi has heard the underlining truth in his comment.

Iruka grabs the accepted stamp, clunks it down twice, covering the reject stamp completely, rolls the scroll back up and shoos Kakashi away. "Next!"

The flashy bastard disappears in a puff of smoke and fall leaves, despite knowing using the jutsu would set off wards. The alarm blares twice before Izumo can turn it off. 

The purple-haired chunin steps forward and Iruka continues his day. If his mind wonders, it has nothing to do with Kakashi. In truth, he's contemplating what gift to buy the young Uchiha.

As a former prankster, he recognizes a prank that good warrants rewarding. Making the legendary Copy-Nin, user of a thousand jutsu, have KakashiHasBuckTeeth@kmail.com deserves at least a cake.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I serve as an editor on an online literary magazine and we're publishing our sixth volume on October 30th! Please check it out, we worked really hard on it.
> 
> Read it here:[Buck Off Magazine](https://buckoffmag.com/)


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